Mystery Behind New Billboards

You may have noticed billboards in Denver and Colorado Springs with ambiguous language, such as “Windshield Ejection,” “Brain Damage,” “Life or Death” and “Fatal Accident.” The billboards sparked conversations on social media, with the photos reaching more than 220,000 people and receiving 10,000 post interactions. Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) revealed the mystery behind the billboards, updating them with images of seat belts to cross out the negative outcome of vehicle crashes, such as “Ejection,” “Damage,” “Death” and “Fatal.”

The billboards serve as a reminder that by simply buckling up, drivers and passengers can prevent the worst from happening in a crash.

Colorado’s Seat Belt Laws

Adults – Colorado has a secondary enforcement law for adult drivers and front-seat passengers. Drivers can be ticketed for violating the seat belt law if they are stopped for another traffic violation. Click It or Ticket enforcement focuses on speeding and aggressive drivers. Drivers who are stopped for a traffic violation and are not using a seat belt will be ticketed. The minimum fine is $65.

Teens – Colorado’s Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) law requires all drivers under 18 and their passengers, no matter what their age, to wear seat belts. This is primary enforcement, meaning teens can be pulled over simply for not wearing a seat belt or having passengers without seat belts.

Children – Colorado’s child passenger safety law is primary enforcement, meaning the driver can be stopped and ticketed if an officer sees an unrestrained or improperly restrained child under age 16 in the vehicle.